Address: Whilton Locks, Daventry, Northants, NN11 2NH
Phone Number: 01327 843822
Web Site: www.whiltonmill.co.uk
Track Length: 860 Metres
Facilities: Changing Rooms, cafeteria and corporate Kart track.

Track Layout

A Lap Around Whilton Mill (by Trevor Randall)

The following is a corner by corner account of the correct way to tackle Whilton Mill.

"Whilton Mill is a picturesque, fast, grippy track with a very smooth surface and large saw-tooth kerbs. The track is highly technical and the fast way around requires a late turn in technique as many of the corners do not open out on the exit like other tracks.

Turn 1 (Crook) is a high-speed left-right sequence, where exit speed is paramount as the following straight is uphill. From the far right of the circuit, past the start/finish line, turn into the fast left, maybe with a small lift of the throttle, and apex late just off the high kerb. Let the kart drift to the centre of the track before attempting the right hander flat out. Do not be tempted to turn into the right too early as you will run out of road on the exit and end up on the grass. Instead turn late and keep tight to the right side kerbing for 2 to 3 kart lengths before releasing the steering lock for a smooth exit.

At the end of the uphill straight is the turn 2 right/left complex (Christmas corner). This is a tricky corner to get right every time as it is very inviting too turn in too early and to fast. Brake and turn in late, from the far-left side of the track, taking full advantage of the gradient available to shorten braking distance and get the kart turned in to the right hander. Do not use all the road on the exit, use about 2/3 so that the left hander becomes easier thus allowing the kart to be positioned correctly for the following tight right hand hairpin. In the wet, speed in the left needs to sacrificed even further to accommodate the hairpin.

The hairpin (Inkermans) requires heavy braking and an aggressively late turn-in as on the exit you will need to quickly get back into the middle of the track in order to negotiate the esses properly.

The esses (Zulu) constitute a fast left (flat out!), followed by a similar right, which must be sacrificed so that the final, tighter, left can be turned into later enabling the power to be put down earlier and more decisively onto the back straight. The trick with the esses is not to be over the edge on the first two parts and be ultra smooth exiting the final left section. A lot of time can be gained here by not over driving and smashing the kerbs.

Stay on the right hand side of the straight in preparation for the final section of corners, a 90 deg. left followed by three short right handers increasing in speed. The track has a lot of grip in the 90 deg. left but, again, do not be tempted to over do it. This corner requires medium braking and the exit must again be sacrificed for a late turn in to the following slow right. Stay off the huge kerb and exit mid circuit. If possible, move to the left of the circuit into the pit lane entry before very smoothly turning right into a wide arc around the first right. There is no need to apex the kerb on the second right hander (The Boot), just keep your foot down and be smooth here using the outside line, but be careful not to put a wheel on the dirt.

If the previous two rights have been done properly, some speed needs to be knocked off before turning, again quite late, into the final right (Pits corner). This is a faster corner in full view of the pit lane, so don't overdo it! The exit here is very wide, but does end in a tyre wall and fence, unlike most of the track where run off is simply a grass field. A smooth exit here is vital to both laptime and gritted teeth overtaking manoeuvres into the mega-quick Turn 1 complex.

Whilton Mill is my favourite track with many challenging sections where the driver who meticulously plans his/her lap will be rewarded with a quick time. One thing worth a mention is that, due to the late turn-in technical layout, the club races here see many incidents of "diving up the inside". This is certainly a circuit where the leader gets away easily whilst the pack squabble behind. Something to consider before making that desperate lunge."